Florida schoolgirl Kiera Wilmot facing felony charges for science experiment

[elux]

Schoolgirl tries science experiment, arrested for felony

A teenage girl puts two household chemicals in a water bottle at school to see what might happen.
There is a small explosion. No one is hurt. She is expelled and charged with weapons possession.

Who among us hasn't -- just once in our lives -- put a couple of things in a test tube, a bottle, or our mouths and wondered what might happen?
Occasionally, this might have difficult consequences. But rarely does someone try to arrest us for it.

16-year-old Kiera Wilmot wasn't so lucky.

This student at Bartow High School in Florida allegedly thought she'd put a couple of household chemicals in an 8-ounce water bottle, just to see the reaction.
The reaction was that she was expelled and marched off in handcuffs, accused of felony possession/discharge of a dangerous weapon.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57582330-71/schoolgirl-tries-science-experiment-arrested-for-felony/

More:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/kiera-wilmot-arrested-science-experiment_n_3194768.html
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/2013/05/03/scientists-support-for-kiera-wilmot-solidarity4wilmot/

[Ekaros]

Did it count as WMD?

[myrkul]

Well, thank god she didn't try the old "lit splint in a test tube of hydrogen" experiment... She might have been charged with possession of a hydrogen bomb.

[Lethn]

Does everyone believe what I was saying about explosives being more dangerous than guns now? They're also a lot easier to assemble

But seriously I fucking hate these people, the sooner Bitcoin puts them out of business the better, every time I think about giving them the benefit of the doubt something like this gets posted up.

[Mike Christ]

I wonder what they think they'll accomplish by jailing her.  I wonder if they think.

[TiagoTiago]

WTF? Jailed for a Diet Coke and Mentos bomb?

[myrkul]

WTF? Jailed for a Diet Coke and Mentos bomb?

Basically, yes.

[aigeezer]

Schoolgirl tries science experiment, arrested for felony

16-year-old Kiera Wilmot wasn't so lucky.

More:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/kiera-wilmot-arrested-science-experiment_n_3194768.html
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/2013/05/03/scientists-support-for-kiera-wilmot-solidarity4wilmot/

The plot thickens: "Kiera is, as one might expect, black"

http://my.firedoglake.com/jlava/tag/tammy-glotfelty/

[Herodes]

As a non-american, seeing things like this... I just shock my head in disbelief. Americans seems to always be overreacting, and being unable to exercise logic and intelligent thoughts. It's a culture of fear that's far outside anything I can comprehend.

In my country, some teacher would've told her - oh - you blew something up ? Then perhaps a meet with the headmaster to let her know this is not approved of and that she should refrain from such experiments on the school in the future, and that would be it.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/kiera-wilmot-arrested-science-experiment_n_3194768.html

The experiment reportedly created a small explosion that caused the bottle's top to pop off and produced smoke. Although no one was hurt and no property was damaged, Wilmot was charged with “possession/discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device,” according to WTSP. Both charges are felonies.

Wilmot’s school district released the following statement about the incident, according to the Miami New Times:

Anytime a student makes a bad choice it is disappointing to us. Unfortunately, the incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was a serious breach of conduct. In order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment, we simply must uphold our code of conduct rules. We urge our parents to join us in conveying the message that there are consequences to actions. We will not compromise the safety and security of our students and staff.

That statement from Wilmot's school district is a complete joke, and the charges are a complete joke as well. In the eyes of a non-american individual, you're making a mockery of yourselves.

Edit: Sorry for generalizing all americans. If you feel offended, then go for a walk.

[Mike Christ]

Edit: Sorry for generalizing all americans. If you feel offended, then go for a walk.

I challenge you to a duel of fisticuffs!

[Herodes]

Edit: Sorry for generalizing all americans. If you feel offended, then go for a walk.

I challenge you to a duel of fisticuffs!

Perhaps you're one of the Americans with an actual brain. In that case, it would be a draw right of the bat. 

[myrkul]

That statement from Wilmot's school district is a complete joke, and the charges are a complete joke as well. In the eyes of a non-american individual, you're making a mockery of yourselves.

Zero tolerance makes a mockery of us all.

[Herodes]

That statement from Wilmot's school district is a complete joke, and the charges are a complete joke as well. In the eyes of a non-american individual, you're making a mockery of yourselves.

Zero tolerance makes a mockery of us all.

And your point would be ? If you didn't grasp it, my view is that they're overreacting and overreaching. She's a 16 year old girl that wondered what would happen if she mixed some chemicals. She didn't intend to blow up a building or harm anyone.

In that light, how can the handling of her case be right ?

And yes, you're right - there should be zero tolerance for idiots. 

[myrkul]

That statement from Wilmot's school district is a complete joke, and the charges are a complete joke as well. In the eyes of a non-american individual, you're making a mockery of yourselves.

Zero tolerance makes a mockery of us all.

And your point would be ? If you didn't grasp it, my view is that they're overreacting and overreaching. She's a 16 year old girl that wondered what would happen if she mixed some chemicals. She didn't intend to blow up a building or harm anyone.

Actually, that's my point. Here in the US, we have this "Zero tolerance" thing, which treats a drawing of a gun or a bottle of aspirin as just as bad as an actual pistol or bag of crack.

[Herodes]

That statement from Wilmot's school district is a complete joke, and the charges are a complete joke as well. In the eyes of a non-american individual, you're making a mockery of yourselves.

Zero tolerance makes a mockery of us all.

And your point would be ? If you didn't grasp it, my view is that they're overreacting and overreaching. She's a 16 year old girl that wondered what would happen if she mixed some chemicals. She didn't intend to blow up a building or harm anyone.

Actually, that's my point. Here in the US, we have this "Zero tolerance" thing, which treats a drawing of a gun or a bottle of aspirin as just as bad as an actual pistol or bag of crack.

Ah... I thought you were implying that I had zero tolerance, and by extension, I didn't quite get where you had that from. Lol.

I get what you're saying though. I'm not a fan of 'zero tolerance'.

[MysteryMiner]

This is seriously fucked up. Back at school I made numerous explosions as a direct result of my interest in chemistry. It all ended by intentionally blowing up bookshelf with nitroglycerine. Nobody could do anything about it and probably they were happy as my interests turned from chemistry to math and computers.

American society is seriously in trouble. That Zero tolerance and the paranoia stuff. Too dumb to reasonably think and too corrupt government and justice system to do that really matters.

[John (John K.)]

  I remember setting off a (semi-failed) smoke bomb on the school field some time back.

[Snowfire]

Society has gone mad in the present culture of surrender to fear and paranoia. Because the primary guiding factor of our culture is fear, we do ridiculous and self-destructive things. When a bright, inquisitive young mid comes along, our reaction is that this must be eliminated in the name of "public safety". Disgusting and pathetic.

Fear is a natural emotion, and can even be constructive. But when you surrender to it and make it the guiding principle of your life, terrible things happen.

[myrkul]

Fear is a natural emotion, and can even be constructive. But when you surrender to it and make it the guiding principle of your life, terrible things happen.

Fear was useful when we were the weakest species on the planet. When there were things in the dark that could kill us and eat us. Now, we control the lightning, the fire. We have nothing to fear on this planet. Fear is of no use to a civilized race.

I must not fear.
    Fear is the mind-killer.
    Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
    I will face my fear.
    I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
    And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
    Where the fear has gone there will be nothing......Only I will remain.

[Herodes]

Fear is a natural emotion, and can even be constructive. But when you surrender to it and make it the guiding principle of your life, terrible things happen.

Fear was useful when we were the weakest species on the planet. When there were things in the dark that could kill us and eat us. Now, we control the lightning, the fire. We have nothing to fear on this planet. Fear is of no use to a civilized race.

I must not fear.
    Fear is the mind-killer.
    Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
    I will face my fear.
    I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
    And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
    Where the fear has gone there will be nothing......Only I will remain.

It's also an element of not admitting to fault. I see this over and over again, officials overreach, but then they're too ashamed to admit fault, so they'll never admit to it. And since they're the top bully in the schoolyard, there's nobody to set them straight.